I’ve Got Magic outclasses overnight field

I’VE GOT MAGIC dismissed his overnight-allowance rivals by eight and a half lengths yesterday, a third run off an eight-month lay-up, suggesting he is rounding into shape for top-class grade one, the level at which he had placed a respectable 10th in last December’s Mouttet Mile.

Outsprinted by ROJORN DI PILOT at five furlongs straight, his second run off the break on September 2, I’VE GOT MAGIC showed enough to get prohibitive odds of 3-5 as trainer Philip Feanny and leading rider Reyan Lewis closed out two-timers on the 10-race card with the United States-bred five-year-old.

Flashing past ALEXA’S LODGE within a half-furlong after the start, I’VE GOT MAGIC simply outclassed the field, proving he was always in another league, bar the ring rust in his comeback races, the first being against fellow American IS THAT A FACT, who has since won a level higher, beating open-allowance runners in last weekend’s Poorlittlerichgirl Trophy

Never in danger of defeat, Lakeland Farms-owned I’VE GOT MAGIC straightened clear of SISTREN TREASURE and kept rolling to hand Lewis his second consecutive winner of the afternoon after partnering Peter-John Parsard’s NEO STAR (2-5) to a smooth win at seven and a half furlongs in the previous event.

Another Feanny American, GILBERT, won the sixth at even-money going seven and a half furlongs. GILBERT won by a neck in a driving finish from back-to-form NO MORE DEALS, outbattling the local-bred after pouncing from a rail run, one and a half furlongs out.

Anthony Nunes and Gary Subratie also saddled two winners apiece. Nunes’ lanky grey, MR SENATOR, a winner without a penalty following his disqualification two races prior, romped against maiden three-year-olds at odds of 2-5 in the third event before his stablemate, five-year-old HOIST THE MAST, completed back-to-back victories against claimers in the fifth, the once highly thought of mare making every post a winning one at six furlongs.

ATOMICA, last year’s Jamaica Derby winner, toyed with an underwhelming field for her fourth straight win from five starts this season under Dane Dawkins, kick-starting Subratie’s two-timer, which was closed by SENSATIONAL MOVE (3-2), who rallied strongly under claiming rider Richard Henry to hold off a cavalry charge led by late-closing WOW HOW at six and a half furlongs among non-winners of two races.

Tevin Foster rode two winners, HOIST THE MAST and GILBERT, moving to 59 wins, eight behind Dawkins on 67, whereas Lewis remains comfortable out front on 84 with the backing of champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s high-powered barn.

Racing continues this afternoon with a nine-race card with a Ketch-9 mandatory payout, starting at the second event. Expectations are that the pool, which will open with $5.247 million, could double at off-time.